St. Andrew Dũng-Lạc (and the Vietnamese Martyrs) (Feast Day November 24) 

1795 – December 21, 1839 

St. Andrew Dũng-Lạc was born in Vietnam in 1785. He was born with the name Trần An Dũng but took the name Andrew at his baptism. He was a Catholic convert. Desiring to serve the Church and his country by ministering to the Vietnamese people, he became a Catholic priest and then a missionary for the promulgation of the faith. During persecution, Andrew Dũng changed his name to Lạc to avoid capture, and thus he is memorialized as Andrew Dũng-Lạc. He was one of 117 people martyred in Vietnam between 1820 and 1862. Members of the companions group gave their lives for Christ in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, and received beatification during four different occasions between 1900 and 1951. All were canonized during the papacy of St. John Paul II. 

In the generations that preceded Andrew’s missionary work, Christianity did not spread peacefully throughout Vietnam. The first Portuguese missionary arrived in 1533. Many more followed, including the Dominican and Jesuit orders, but they were met with violent resistance at the hands of various political regimes. Waves of terror and torture were inflicted on all those who dared to carry the faith to the people of Vietnam, and thousands of Catholics and other Christians were murdered for their zeal. 

·    Today we celebrate the feast of Christ the King. Why do we call Jesus the King of the Universe?

·       What does a king do? In what way is Jesus your king?

·       What does Jesus mean when he says, “My kingdom does not belong to this world”?

·       In what way did St. Andrew Dũng-Lạc contribute to the Church in Vietnam?

LEGO Kingdom

Today, Jesus talks about the Kingdom of God with Pilate. Find some LEGO or other blocks and build what you think the Kingdom of God looks like. You can have each family member create their own version or you can work together to build one together. Talk about what you built.

Fudge Spoon Pie

On this Feast of Christ the King, enjoy this rich dessert you could serve to royalty!

½ cup butter

1 (1-oz) square unsweetened chocolate

1 cup sugar

½ cup flour

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 large eggs

Melt butter and chocolate in a saucepan over low heat, stir often. Remove from heat, stir in sugar and next 3 ingredients. Pour batter into a greased 8-inch square pan. Bake at 325 F for 22 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream.

Gloria

Take time to listen to the words of the Gloria and reflect on the kingship of Christ by praying it slowly, as a family.

Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace to people of good will.

We praise you,

we bless you,

we adore you,

we glorify you,

we give you thanks for your great glory,

Lord God, heavenly King,

O God, almighty Father.

Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son,

Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,

you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us;

you take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer;

you are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us.

For you alone are the Holy One,

you alone are the Lord,

you alone are the Most High,

Jesus Christ,

with the Holy Spirit,

in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Just like Christ sits on his throne in heaven, the priest sits in the presider’s chair in the sanctuary of the church. The chair signifies the teaching, governing, and sanctifying role of the bishop in his diocese as successor of the apostles. By extension, every celebrant’s chair in a parish church signifies the priest’s headship during the sacred liturgy and his mission to sanctify and govern those in his care. Find the presider’s chair in your church and describe its features.                                                          

Learn how to say, "Long live Christ the King" in Spanish or another language you don't know.

Christ the King Sunday is the last Sunday of the liturgical year. Next week begins a new Church year with the first week of Advent.